Handle means for transportation



Nov. 7, 1961 K ZAUGG 3,007,180

STRETCHER COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HANDLE MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION Filed Feb; 10, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 7, 1961 K. ZAUGG 3,007,180

STRETCHER COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HANDLE MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION Filed Feb. 10, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 III. M

1961 K. ZAUGG 3, STRETCI-IER COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HANDLE MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION Filed Feb. 10, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 7, 1961 K ZAUGG 3,007,180

STRETCHER COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HANDLE MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION Filed Feb. 10, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ear, Z2 djj ice Patented Nov. 7, 1961 STRETCHER COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HANDLE MEANS FOR TRANS- PORTATION Karl Zaugg, Winterthur, Switzerland Filed Feb. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 792,356 Claims priority, application Switzerland June 7, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. -82) This invention relates to stretchers particularly adapted for emergency cases, where it is desirable to use them as emergency beds for wounded persons, as may be desirable for field hospitals.

It is an object of the invention to provide for stretchers with short feet rigidly fastened to the frame and formed on the upper end with a plug hole and on the lower or bottom end shaped as a plug. The plug fits the plug hole, so that several stretchers may be plugged together for transportation or storage.

The main object of the invention is to provide the described feet of a stretcher with extensions capable of being firmly fixed in horizontal and vertical positions. One end of such extension being rotatably fixed on the short feet by mechanism permitting blocking the extensions of the short feet which are rigidly fastened to the frame, in the horizontal or vertical position, whereby with the extensions in the vertical position, several stretchers may be stacked and used as emergency beds in automotive ambulances or emergency housings.

-In the accompanying drawings two embodiments of stretchers according to the invention are shown.

FIG. 1 is a side-view of the stretcher with the extensions of the feet turned into the horizontal position.

FIG. 2 is a plan-view of the stretcher shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a stack of five stretchers which are plugged together at small height with the use of their short feet.

FIG. 4 shows three stretchers plugged together at greater height, one standing with its short feet on the floor, while the other two stretchers have their extensions used in the vertical position for the stacking.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary large scale elevational sideview of the mechanism to rotate the extension of the short feet, showing the extension on a short foot in the horizontal position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary large scale plan-view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary large scale elevational, partly sectional, front-view of the mechanism of FIG. 5 but wherein the extension is vertically positioned.

The FIGURES 8 to 15 relate to a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side-view of the stretcher with the extensions of the feet in the outward horizontal position.

FIG. 9 is a plan-view of the stretcher according to FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows several stretchers in the condition for transportation with the extensions of the feet in the inward horizontal position.

FIG. 11 shows the stretchers according to FIG. 10 in the position where the extensions of the feet of two stretchers are vertically positioned and plugged upon each other, and also plugged upon the bottom stretcher, whereof the extensions of the feet are in the inward horizontal position.

FIG. 12 is a side-view of a joint mechanism showing an extension in outward horizontal position.

FIG. 13 is a plan-view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front-view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 12 but wherein the extension is vertically positioned.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of an extension according to FIG. 12.

The stretcher according to the above figures is made of a steel pipe frame 1. The longitudinal frame members or tubing members or pipes 1a project beyond the crossconnections 1b. The pipes 1a are provided with handles 2. 3 indicates a mat for a person to rest on which is attached to the steel frame by elastic band connections or an elastic string connection. On the outer side of the longitudinal pipes 1a, near the cross-members 1b, short vertical feet 5 are rigidly attached. The feet 5 are welded to the longitudinal frame members 1a. Each short foot 5 has a leg that includes a recessed plug-shaped lower end portion 6, and defines on top a plug hole 5. The lower end portions 6 of the short feet 5 are so dimensioned and spaced apart as to fit the plug holes 5' of a stretcher beneath it in a stack of stretchers. This is shown in FIG. 3. Each short foot 5 has between the lower end portion 6 and the plug hole 5' a bearing 7 for a bolt 8. The axis of the bearing 7 is perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal tubing members of the stretcher frame 1. The axis of the bolt 8 intersects the axis of the foot 5. Outside the bearing 7 a star plate 9 is rigidly fastened to the outer side of the foot 5. An extension 10 is tiltably journalled to each foot 5 below the frame 1, in the fol lowing manner: Each extension 11 has a fork 11 at one end, and an outermost part or end portion 6' at the other. The bolt 8 tiltably connects the fork 11 of each extension 10 to the respective short foot 5. Each extension 10 is tiltable about the bolt 8 between a vertical position wherein its end portion 6' is vertically aligned with the end portion 6 of the foot 5 (FIG. 7) and, respectively, a horizontal position (FIG. 3). The legs of the fork 11 are long enough to permit the extensions 10 to be turned around the short feet. The bolt 8 is firmly fastened to the fork 11 by means of a screw nut 8', or any other suitable means. The fork 11 carries a pin 13. The extensions 10 can be set fast in Vertical and horizontal positions by means of the star plate 9 and catch lever 14 that is journalled for tilting about the pin 13. For this purpose the outside leg of the fork 11 which makes contact with the surface of the star plate 9 has a mounting to fasten the catch lever 14 thereon pivotally. The catch lever has a cam 15 on one end which registers with a corresponding aperture in the outer leg of the fork 11 and extending into notches of the star plate 9. The cam 15 of the catch lever is urged by spring means 16 acting upon the outer end of the catch lever towards the star plate 9 and into the notches 12 in either horizontal or vertical positions of the extensions 10. By pressure against the spring means 16 the setting on the star plate is released by disengagement of the cam 15 with the star plate 9. The length of the legs constituting the fork 11 is such as to place in the vertical position the foot 5 within the fork 11. This is shown in FIG. '7.

By plugging the stretchers above each other with each foot 5 engaging a hole 5' below and the extensions 10 in the horizontal position (FIG. 3), a steady stack of stretchers is had, either for transport or for storage thereof.

In the firmly set vertical position of the extensions 10 (FIG. 4), on the other hand, a steady stack of several stretchers is also had. The extensions are of such lengths that each stretcher is capable to accommodate a person. For this purpose the extensions 10 are also provided with the said end portions 6, suitable to fit into the plug holes 5 of the stretcher situated beneath. In this condition of the stretchers several thereof may be used for transportation of wounded persons. Such stacks may also be used as emergency beds in field hospitals.

According to a second embodiment of stretchers the rectangular frame 1 does not include handles for carrying the stretchers, see FIGS. 8-15. In this case the feet 5 are situated inside the longitudinal members of the rectangular frame, and of oval or rectangular shape. Such feet have lower end portions 6, adapted to be plugged into oval or rectangular plug holes 5' of another stretcher, or to act as feet to place the stretcher on the floor. Between the plug hole 5 and the lower end portion ,6 there is formed a horizontal bearing 7 for the shaft part of a bolt 8, whereon an extension 10 of the short feet 5 which includes a tubular part is firmly fastened by means of a fork 11 at the end thereof, whereby the extension and the bolt 8 are turned in the bearing 7, all as described in detail in connection with the first embodiment of a stretcher and as shown in the FIGURES 8 to 15. The tubular part of the extension 10 may have oval cross section, as shown in FIGURE 15. The outermost part 6' of the extension 10 may be formed with an elongated slot and can be used as handles when in horizontal position, and an inverted fork-shaped rest 17 is connected to the frame 1 for each extension 10 for steadying the latter when the stretcher is carried at the handles 6.

I claim:

1. In a stretcher having a rectangular frame and a mat suspended from said frame, in combination, a series of short vertical feet secured to said frame and each including a short leg terminating in an end portion below said frame, means on said frame defining a series of plug holes open on top, the position of the feet matching the position of the plug holes, and an extension journalled below said frame to each short foot and movable between a horizontal position wherein the said foot projects downwardly from said frame beyond any part of said extension and, respectively, a vertical position wherein at least .the lowermost end portion of said extension is in vertical beyond the same, the end portion of each foot and of 4 V 7 each extension fitting into the hole of a stretcher below, whereby stretchers may be stacked with the holes of a lower stretcher receiving the end portions of the feet of a stretcher above with the extensions placed horizontally for small vertical space stacking and, respectively, said holes receiving the end portions of said extensions of the next upper stretcher with the extensions disposed vertically for large verticalspace stacking.

2. In a stretcher, as claimed in claim 1, each extension including a fork engaging said short foot, and means operable for releasably securing said fork in horizontal and vertical positions, respectively, relative to said foot.

3. In a stretcher, as claimed in claim 1, the lower end portion of each foot and of each extension being recessed to fit into said hole.

4. In a stretcher, as claimed in claim 1, the end portion of each extension being formed as a handle, a rest connected to the underside of said frame open at the bottom and operable to engage an extension in the horizontal position thereof, for manual suspension of said stretcher from said handles in the horizontal position of said extensions, for stretcher bearing.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,853 Lundquist 'Oct. 31, 1944 2,640,996 Davis June 9, 1953 2,722,690 Donargo A Nov. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 80,576 Germany Apr. 20, 1895 103,426 Germany June 5, 1899 426,647 Germany Mar. 16, 1926 496,506 ,Great Britain Dec. 1, 1938 

